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Since the Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown injuries, the Kansas City Chiefs have been pegged as a relatively obvious buyer at wide receiver ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
So much so that beat reporters covering struggling franchises are writing articles proposing that their teams’ wide receivers could be logical options for KC. For example, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard suggested two New York Giants pass-catchers as Chiefs trade candidates on September 30 — veteran starter Darius Slayton and/or 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt.
Each would have their pros and cons for Kansas City.
Giants’ Jalin Hyatt Offers Chiefs Young, Explosive WR Under Team Control
For the 23-year-old Hyatt, Leonard first pointed out his potential as a former 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner — given to the top wide receiver in college football — and his explosiveness as a player who already has achieved a 100-yard effort as a rookie.
“Now he is nailed to the bench in New York, playing only 38 of a possible 268 offensive snaps (14%) through four games,” Leonard wrote. “He also reportedly said during a late summer practice that if the Giants weren’t going to use him, they should trade him.”
Leonard did note that Hyatt’s skill set might “too closely replicate” that of Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, but KC head coach Andy Reid has never complained about being given too many speedy vertical threats to work with.
“The Giants aren’t using a player they traded up to draft in 2023. So he could end up on the block — unless the Giants, who couldn’t score a touchdown in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, change their mind about keeping Hyatt on the sideline,” Leonard wrote.
Hyatt is also under team control and would fit into Kansas City’s salary constraints, similar to when they traded with the Giants for Kadarius Toney. Per Over the Cap, Hyatt’s cap number increases gradually from a little over $1.278 million this year up to approximately $1.79 million in 2026.
Would general manager Brett Veach take yet another flyer on a talented prospect who has yet to hit his stride at the NFL level?
Win-Now Chiefs Could Opt for Experience & Trade for Giants WR Rental Darius Slayton
A trade for Slayton would offer the opposite end of the spectrum as Hyatt. For starters, he’s 27 years old and his current contract ends after the 2024 campaign — so the trusty longtime Giant would make for an experienced one-year rental.
“Slayton said in July that when he stayed away from the Giants in the spring, he would have welcomed a trade if there weren’t plans to make him a big part of this year’s offense,” Leonard wrote. “He changed agents at the start of the regular season [and] shared an Instagram post about Saquon Barkley’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in Week 1.”
“This all happened on the heels of the Giants forcing him to take a pay cut to stay with the team in 2022, before extending him for two years through 2024,” he continued. “Slayton has a good rapport with [NYG quarterback] Daniel Jones, but it makes sense for [Giants general manager Joe] Schoen to get something for Slayton before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, especially if this season continues spiraling.”
Leonard wrote that Slayton has a “$7.95 million cap hit” this season, making him pricier than Hyatt but still within reason.
Leonard wrote that “[Slayton] has more of a downfield skill set than a possession receiver, but he would be well-rounded enough to be a helpful fit for Reid.”
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